This is a densely tufted, wiry species with clumps of old sheaths at the base, numerous stiff, patent, narrow leaf blades, the uppermost very short, and exserted, flexuose panicles of spikelets with relatively short, inconspicuously mucronate lemmas. It is close to Cleistogenes festuca-cea and perhaps intergrades with that species through forms with slightly longer lemmas and awnlets.